Cover Image: Learning to Love the Psalms

Learning to Love the Psalms

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Member Reviews

I have always liked Psalm 23, so imagine my delight when the author introduced the concept of the poetic feature that is found within! Now there is a whole new level to the psalm and I am looking forward to seeing how other psalms might have the same feature and how it might add to their meaning.

I recently bought a new bible journal and have now copied in the first page of the psalms the great themes and basic questions to ask.

Really thankful for this book and to me, the author has done a great job teaching us to love this particular book of the bible.

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The author teaches about the Psalms and then deals specifically with individual Psalms. I found it helpful and encouraging.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.,

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This book takes you through different Psalms, and provides a good teaching on it. Each chapter is beautiful and short, which makes it a great read for anyone who wants to keep reading the Psalms and gain a deeper understanding (and appreciation) of them!

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The Psalms are commonly known as the Hymnbook of the Bible. Beyond a notebook of praise, it also contains some of the most well known and well-loved prayers in Scripture. However, in modern times many evangelicals —even those who would be counted among the so-called New Calvinists— are simply unfamiliar with this deep treasure trove.

In Learning to Love the Psalms, W Robert Godfrey takes us on a tour through this sometimes foreign land. After a brief introductory chapter, Godfrey begins to unpack representative Psalms to not only teach us how to read the Psalms but indeed how to love the Psalms.

Although I found this book to be a bit superficial for my tastes, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that for its intended audience the book is just right. This is not a book of deep exegetical insight, and nothing in its pages is likely to amaze the reader. However, Godfrey's own love for the Psalms shines through each chapter.

This is a great book for someone who is looking to dive deeper into the piety of classical Reformed thought, and I can say that in my own devotional time, incorporating the Psalms on a regular basis has enriched my communion with God.

This book would also make a great book for a worship minister or leader in your congregation, or as a small group bible study supplement. Although not directly related, Ligonier also offers a lecture series where Godfrey covers much of the same ground. They are not designed to as a pair, but they function quite nicely as such.

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This book certainly helped me understand the psalms better. I've often wanted to love them more than I actually did, and have found myself reading them more out of duty than of a real eagerness. This book expresses the depth that awaits us in this collection of songs, and is definitely worth reading.

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Learning to Love the Psalms by W. Robert Godfrey (Reformation Trust Publishing; 2017)

In this most enlightening and informative book on the Psalms. Godfrey laments the fact that this vital part of holy Scripture which played such an important role in the life of the Jewish community for thousands of years, as well as for the Christian church for almost 1800 years has now fallen into a theological corner. In this book, Godfrey hopes to spark a new interest in the use the Psalter, both in corporate worship services, and in the personal devotions and prayers of believers everywhere.

Learning to Love the Psalms is neither a commentary or a devotional —- technically speaking. Yet the author both explains the occasions and use of the Psalms in ancient Israel —- like a commentary; but also shows how the theme of each psalm discussed can be used as a devotional and as a springboard to prayer and communion with the Father.

Godfrey describes the make-up and apparent theme and aim of each of the five Books that make up the Psalms in our Bibles today. After that description, the author details more of the interesting facts behind the psalms described (over 80 in all), how they tie into the overall theme of the Book in which they are found, and how modern-Christians can better understand and make more practical and spiritual lessons contained in each psalm. The book is written in a clear and entertaining manner, making it very accessible to the general reader; but with enough theological and expository insight to be very useful for pastors. Most highly recommended!

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Learning to Love the Psalms is a great book that sets out (and succeeds) to guide the reader to better “understand and appreciate the Psalms at a new level.” This book is not a commentary to every verse, or even every Psalm, but it is an introduction to a life of personal study and reflection on the Psalms. Godfrey gives you a good overview of the 150 Psalms and some necessary information in understanding Hebrew poetry, different forms the Psalms are written in, and structure of the Psalter. He also provides some things to look for as you go forward and how to apply them to their historical setting, how they point to Christ, and how they are for Christians today.

The book is broken up into the 6 sections; the overview of the Psalter, then 5 books of the Psalms. In each section, Godfrey gives you a summary and outline to the book (there are 5 books in the Psalter) and themes to look for through that section. He selects certain Psalms and works through them showing how the principles he laid out at the beginning are used to get more out of the passage. Not only do you learn about the psalm, but you are seeing how to work through the psalms. He is teaching the principles of getting the most out of Psalms on your own.

Learning to Love the Psalms is very accessible and I think a valuable resource for personal study or a great help to pastors or teachers who want to help teach the Psalms. The book will work best if you take your time and work through the Psalter, using this book as your guide. The Psalms are poetry and are designed for slow reading, meditation, and repeated reflection and Godfrey has written a book to help you toward a lifetime of fruitful meditation and worship.

I received a review copy from Netgallery.com.

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How well do you know the book of Psalms? How familiar are you with its contents?

W. Robert Godfrey has written an excellent book on the Psalms, Learning to Love the Psalms. Perhaps the title is misleading--slightly. In a way, he writes in such a way to encourage believers to love and embrace the book of Psalms. But I think he does more than that. I think he wants believers to look beyond surface emotions and better understand and appreciate not just individual psalms, not just individual verses, but the book as a whole.

Psalms is a book to be studied as any other book. It is a book with theology waiting to be unpacked. In the first chapter he writes, "the Psalms are like a mine with ever new depths to reach and ever more gold to find. They reward abundantly whatever effort we make to know them better." One of the reasons we should KNOW the psalms and be digging ever deeper is the fact that "the Psalms are full of Christ. They not only explicitly prophesy the coming of Christ (e.g., Pss. 2; 22; 110), but the message of the Psalms always pulls the soul to Christ and His great saving work." He continues, "Christ not only prays the prayers of the Psalter, but He also answers them. He sends His Holy Spirit to minister forgiveness, to teach the truth, to sanctify and protect His people. Christ identified with the Psalter’s Messiah and faithful King, Savior of sinners, and God who answers prayer."

n the third chapter, he asks--and then answers--a crucial question:
If the Psalms are so rich, why is it that many of us today do not treasure and appreciate them as the church did in the past?

He answers in five points, but I'll choose three to focus on in this review:

1) The Psalter as a whole seems to us to have no structure. At first glance, it seems as if someone took 150 poems and simply shuffled them, putting them together in no particular order. As a result, it is difficult to see any movement or development in the book as a whole. It is also difficult to remember where a particular psalm is in the book in relation to other psalms. It is very hard to know where to turn in the Psalter for any particular type of psalm. The result is that while Christians may come to appreciate a particular verse or a particular psalm, the book as a whole remains more a mystery or puzzle than a coherent expression of the feelings of God’s people.
2) The Psalms are complicated and sometimes seem obscure in their literary form. An individual psalm may seem difficult to understand, especially in terms of the way in which it develops its thought. A psalm often changes its theme and its mood as it progresses.
3) Our minds and hearts are not saturated with the Psalms as the hearts and minds of earlier generations of Christians were.

Godfrey argues there is a unifying theme in the book of Psalms. (One MAJOR theme and three additional sub-themes.) Godfrey argues that there is definite structure--movement, development, flow--in the book of Psalms. The arrangement is not random or meaningless. He walks readers through the process of reading and studying Psalms. He highlights individual psalms in each of his sections.

Godfrey's book is divided into seven sections (and an afterword). The first section is a seven chapter introduction to the book. It's titled simply, "Learning to Love the Psalms." The second section focuses on book one of Psalms (Psalms 1-41), "The King's Confidence in God's Care." The third section focuses on book two of Psalms (Psalms 42-72), "The King's Commitment to God's Kingdom." The fourth section focuses on book three of Psalms (Psalms 73-89), "The King's Crisis Over God's Promises." The fifth section focuses on book four of Psalms (Psalm 90-106), "The King's Comfort in God's Faithfulness." The sixth section focuses on book five of Psalms (Psalm 107-150), "The King's Celebration of God's Salvation." The seventh section also focuses on book five of Psalms (Psalms 146-150). Within each section, Godfrey chooses select psalms to focus on.

He concludes, "We as the people of God today need to learn for ourselves what it means to live in the Psalms. In a real sense, they give us words to express what it means to live as a Christian. We should live in and out of the Psalms." In addition, "We must never rush through the Psalms but learn to pause, ponder, and meditate on them so that their poetic beauty and profound truths will penetrate deeply into our hearts."

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As a Christian who has fallen behind in connecting with the scriptures, I found this book to be a refreshing and not to mention, an awakening commentary on the deeper interpretation of this inspirational and thought provoking book of prophetic poetry. I highly recommend it for anyone who would like to take a deeper look at the "Shepherd" and His "beloved" creation.

Giving this one: 5 stars.

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Learning to Love the Psalms is commentary of the book Psalms focusing on the five major themes in the book. In the first 7 chapters, W. Robert Godfrey introduces the book of Psalms and the importance of Psalms in the Christian life. He proposes 10 questions people should ask when reading a Psalm and the first for are:

1. What details in this psalm— words, historical references, ideas— seem to require further study?
2. Which of the great themes of the Psalter do I find in this individual psalm?
3. What human responses do I find in this psalm?
4. Is the character of this psalm primarily individual or communal?

In the later chapters, W. Robert Godfrey writes a commentary of the book of Psalms. He groups the book poof Psalms in to five books. Using the ten questions he proposed in Chapter 8, Godfrey discussed a few Psalms in each of the five books.

The book format will work better for a group Bible study than for personal reading. Learning to Love the Psalms is a good resource for people studying Psalms. However, I thought the book would have been great if it ended at chapter 8. The next 41 chapters could have been two chapters in the Appendix or separate book altogether.

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This book is a study of the Psalms and the guide is an indepth look into the verses and their meaning in relations to the Bible. The author not only connects the Psalms to the stories of the Old Testament but also shows how they are related to Jesus Christ and prophecies concerning him.
As someone studying the Psalms, I was very glad to have this book to help me understand who the author was and what they meant to convey in relation to God, Israel and the People of God. My compliant is that I would have liked a longer book that talked through each numbered Psalm on it's own as I want to reread the book while reading each particular Psalm.

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This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Godfrey's Afterword begins:

In our study, we have made a beginning of learning to love the Psalms. We have looked at some of the attractions and difficulties of the Psalter. We have summarized the great themes, subjects, and emotions of these songs. We have examined some of the forms and uses of the Psalms. But this book is at best an introduction and invitation to growing in an appreciation of the Psalter. You need to carry on with what we have started together.

That right there is a great 80 word summary of the book -- both in intention and execution. If that summary appeals to you, you'll dig the book.

Godfrey starts with a few short chapters talking about the Psalter as a whole. He discusses his own personal history with the Psalms and what attracted him to them and the benefit he's gained -- then a very quick look at Psalms in Church History (notably their impact on the Reformation). Then he discusses why people are discouraged from getting into them, how to overcome that, how to approach the Psalms and some basic things to think about why studying them/using them for yourself. He gives 10 questions to use when coming to any Psalm that are easy enough for any rookie to put to use and also for any one who had studied the Bible for years to benefit from.

Following that he looks at each of the 5 collections or books or whatever you want to call the groupings of the Psalms that make up the whole Psalter. These would be:
* BOOK ONE - THE KING’S CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S CARE: Psalms 1– 41
* BOOK TWO - THE KING’S COMMITMENT TO GOD’S KINGDOM: Psalms 42– 72
* BOOK THREE - THE KING’S CRISIS OVER GOD’S PROMISES: Psalms 73– 89
* BOOK FOUR - THE KING’S COMFORT IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS: Psalms 90– 106
* BOOK FIVE - THE KING’S CELEBRATION OF GOD’S SALVATION: Psalms 107– 150
* THE CONCLUSION OF THE PSALTER: Psalms 146– 150

In these parts, Godfrey explores the structure and themes of each and then looks at at least 5 psalms in that book -- opening them up for the reader, seeing how they work together with the other around them, in some cases how they don't fit the theme of the rest of the book. All of these are brief, but thorough, chapters (an overview chapter and then individual chapters on each Psalm) -- insightful and helpful on their own -- much more so when combined with the other chapters in that section or the book as a whole. But really, if you wanted help with, say, Psalm 78 (to choose at random) as a refresher for something -- the chapter on that from this book would be a great way to start. Godfrey explains:

The intention of this study is not to provide an exhaustive exegesis of each psalm considered, but rather to open a way to a growing understanding of the Psalms. God gave His people the Psalter so that we could more and more be defined by it, so that we could find our identity in it. We as the people of God today need to learn for ourselves what it means to live in the Psalms. In a real sense, they give us words to express what it means to live as a Christian. We should live in and out of the Psalms.

"They give us words to express what it means to live as a Christian " I love that line -- as I have really started to explore the Psalms for myself over the last couple of years, that's really what I've been seeing and will immediately start using that phrase to describe it.

These sections of the book are the heart of it -- as helpful as the initial chapters are. It's not a commentary, as he states, but it does do a great job of jump-starting your individual study. I probably jotted down more quotations from these sections than I have from others lately, and the temptation to list them all is great. I'm going to limit myself to three, just so you can get a taste of Godfrey's language and the variety of topics/themes he addresses:

The difference between this praise song [based on Psalm 103] and the actual psalm [103] is striking. The song is repetitive in vague terms: He has done great things. The psalm, by contrast, is specific about the various blessings received. Taking the psalms as our standard of praise should warn us against the repetitiveness of many contemporary songs and lead us to praise that is much more pointed and specific. Genuine gratitude reviews in detail the wonderful gifts of our God.

-- Both a pointed critique and a challenge/encouragement for how to go express our gratitude biblically.

From Psalm 73:

Pictures that reconstruct the temple almost invariably misrepresent the scene as very clean and tidy. In fact, the altar must have been a rather horrible sight of blood and charred remains. It was surrounded with the odors of blood, burnt flesh, and death. Flies probably swarmed around. What the psalmist saw was what God intended His worshipers to see: that the wages of sin is death in all its horror. The altar testified that sin leads to destruction, and the only way to avoid the just consequences of sin is to find a substitute and sacrifice. The altar testified that the blood of a spotless substitute was necessary for sin to be forgiven. . .The altar and the sacrifices point to Jesus and His saving work. He is the true sacrifice and substitute for His people.


From his discussion of Psalm 74:

Here is a concern often repeated in the Psalter: Why does the Lord not act more promptly in response to the needs and prayers of His people? Why? First, we should notice that this questioning by the psalmist stands against the advice offered today by some well-meaning Christians who say that we should never ask why. Such advisers voice a kind of Christian stoicism, teaching that we must just grin and bear it. The psalmist, by contrast, gives strong expression to the depths of his emotions. Indeed, God, by the example of the psalmist, encourages His people to a refreshing honesty in prayer, including honesty in expressing our emotions. Fear, anger, frustration—all are emotions that we find poured out in the Psalter. But we must remember that they are emotions expressed by a believer who still trusts his God. It is immediately after these questions that the psalmist asserts his faith in the words of verse 12.


Again, I could keep going, but I'm going to force myself to stop. But we have here gratitude, sacrifice, mercy, despair, fear, faith and that's just in 3 Psalms -- only bits of his explorations of 3 Psalms, actually. Godfrey's guide to the Psalter touches on almost as many aspects of the Christian life as the Psalter itself does.

I should note that this one of those books whose end-of-chapter discussion questions are actually worth reading and using. It's such a rarity, that it needs to be pointed out when you do see it.

I'm not going to say that this is a flawless work, there are a few places where my notes consist primarily of question marks or "that seems like a stretch." But most of those are on comments about the structure of the Psalter as a whole, about the organization of the "books" of the psalms and that sort of thing -- which isn't to say I disagreed with anything he said there, it's just that he didn't convince me. But given my lack of study on this sort of thing, it's very possible I just need to think about it all some more. Mostly my notes are along the lines of "excellent," "great point," or "why didn't I have this book years ago to help me with topic/discussion X?"

Earlier, I quoted from the Afterword, which could've been longer (most of the book could've been longer, really -- but it would've become imposing, intimidating and less attractive for its target audience if it had) but was a great way to sum up the book and spur the reader on for further study, reflection and devotion in the Psalms. It served as a good call to action with some very handy tips.

Now, I must admit I didn't read this one the way I should've -- it would've taken me a couple of months to do so and I really figure that Reformation Trust wanted something a bit more timely than that from a NetGalley offering. This is the kind of book to read with a Bible and notebook within reach and to use both of them frequently. It's a book that takes study and time to get everything out of -- and I fully intended to return to this book soon for just that purpose -- which isn't to say that it's not approachable or that it's difficult to read. Not at all, this is one of the least technical books I've read in a long time when it comes to Bible Study. There's nothing here stopping anyone from profiting from the book. But to get everything out of the volume, you need to put in the time to read what Godfrey says and reflect on it while reading (or singing) the Psalms discussed and working through them on your own.

All in all, this is a very helpful book -- a good study, a good aid for individual/group use (I think it'd be great for family worship/devotions/whatever you call it), and an encouragement to dig into one of the more intimidating yet wonderful books of the Bible in order to find those "words to express what it means to live as a Christian". I heartily recommend this book.

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